The Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) said evacuees who escape the Gaza Strip will need help to access mental healthcare, housing and supports to get family members out of the area. “They're definitely going to need support and outreach, coming out of a very traumatic time,” CCR Co-Executive Director Gauri Sreenivasan told The Canadian Press on Thursday. The small number of people allowed through the Rafah border crossing out of Gaza has included 107 people on Canada’s list of anticipated evacuees, and they are allowed to remain in Egypt for three days. The list includes Canadian citizens, permanent residents and eligible family members who do not have immigration status in Canada. Some of the first few Canadians to escape the attacks in Gaza arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Thursday. For people who arrive without immigration status, Sreenivasan said it will be important to ensure they have access to settlement services tailored to the trauma they have endured for the last month. “This will include the need for supports, for identifying what they need in terms of housing and support for work permits,” said Sreenivasan. “Critically, they will need information and support in processing the paperwork that's required both for themselves here but [also] for other family members.”She admitted reuniting families outside of Gaza will be key for setting them up for success in Canada. Immigration Minister Marc Miller said services and immigration status will have to be determined based on individual circumstances once people make their way to Canada. To secure the safe passage of more than 500 people with connections to Canada, Global Affairs Canada said the federal government has been involved with ongoing negotiations between Israel and Egypt that are being mediated by Qatar. Global Affairs Canada said it is aware of reports four Canadian citizens got out with help from a third party. For family members without Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, Miller said the federal government will offer temporary status to ensure they remain in Canada and if they need work permits, Immigration Canada will work on that. Sreenivasan said people who come to Canada as family members should be able to apply for permanent residency under the family reunification immigration program. As for settlement services and income support, Miller said new arrivals from Gaza will be dependent on their Canadian families. Immigration Canada will assess their needs from there.“We'll have to look at what that means and look at the volume,” he said.“I don't know the financial situation of a lot of people leaving.”The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) called for the evacuation of all people in Gaza City from their homes southward and asked them to move to the area south of Wadi Gaza on October 13. READ MORE: GET OUT: Israeli military demands people leave Gaza, Hamas tells them to 'stay put'“The Hamas terrorist organization waged a war against the State of Israel, and Gaza City is an area where military operations take place,” said the IDF. “This evacuation is for your own safety.”Global Affairs Canada could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
